Summer love
by Smiling Eyes
Summary: The story of Leda and the Swan - in my own, extended and slightly altered version.
1. No love to be found

**No love to be found**

"I'm sorry", the king was saying where he stood by the window gazing out in the moonless night. A warm summer rain was falling outside and the town was peacefully calm. The only things heard were some late night walker's drunken voices and a restless dog barking somewhere.

"I'm sorry", he repeated himself, resting on his knuckles, back bent. Almost looking like an old man and still not facing his queen who was lying among the silken sheets in the bed. He didn't want her to see his shame.  
"Honey?" she enquired and finally king Tyndareus turned, looking at the blond and slender beauty lying in the bed. She was still attractive, his queen Leda even though she was nearing the forties. It was definitely nothing wrong with her, on the very contrary. It was he who was faulty. It was he who didn't work like a man anymore. His body betraying him, refusing to perform the way it ought to.

He knew that this was probably their last chance. Their last chance to produce a new heir for the throne instead of the sons who had fallen on the battlefield. But if he could not make it work, if he could not go through with it, he would never be able to give Leda an heir and he would betray her, let her kingdom fall in the hands of strangers. Her power-hungry cousin who was already casting greedy glances upon Sparta's rich mines. If not…

"Tyn darling!" Leda spoke again, her pale gray eyes shining in the sparse light falling in from the window. "You should go to the temple of Aphrodite, ask for…"  
"No", he cut her off, sounding harsher than he meant. "Aphrodite has never been a friend of mine, never been a friend of Sparta. She's… We turn our hearts to Artemis and Athena instead and they have given us richly of their mercy. Why should I spurn them for the unreliable goddess of love who you can trust one day and the next not? Who betray you because she fancies it?"

"Hush, Tyn!" Leda replied. "Don't speak like that about the gods. Who know they might hear us. And decide to punish you for what you just said."  
"As if I haven't been punished enough, wife!" Tyndareus spat. "First they take our sons from us, the loved Acastos and Diosthenes. Then they take my manhood, make me week and soft and unable to give to you what a husband should give a wife."  
"Perhaps it's just temporary, Tyn. Perhaps some other time…"  
"I don't think so", Tyndareus sighed, turning his back to the queen again, looking out trough the castle window. "I don't think so."


	2. Looking for love

**Looking for**** love **

The sun was beating mercilessly from a milky, hazy sky and the land was suffering under the heat, watering trenches and canals drying up. And water was brought in barrel wise, chariot wise from the lakes in the north to save what possibly could be saved of the crop and the life stock.

Day in and day out those not working in the fields were carrying libations to the temples of the gods, hoping for them to hear them, to save them. But it seemed like the gods had their minds elsewhere, that Sparta was being left out this time.  
"Pray to Zeus", Leda asked Tyndareus. "Ask the Great Lord for his blessing rain. Ask him to help us, tell him how faithful we have been, she urged him."  
"Zeus…" Tyndareus repeated. "As if…"

"Tyn!" Leda felt her voice rise. "Last month you refused to seek Aphrodite's mercy, ask for her help. Since then you have not been able to… Are you now going to mistrust Zeus the same way? Then who knows what might happen to Sparta then, who might bother with her if even the Great Zeus turns his back. "

King Tyndareus looked up at the white-hot sun shining from a cloudless sky. Not a wind moved, not a bird sang, not an insect buzzed. The heat was unbearable, like in Tartarus itself. Then he turned, looking at his queen once more, nodding slowly.  
"You're right, beloved. I will go to the temple of Zeus. I will sacrifice the white bull, the price bull. And hope he listens this time. "  
"Wisely done, my husband," Leda nodded.

O=O=O

When the king has left to prepare himself for the temple Leda decided against going into the palace again. It had become so silent since the sons were gone. So eerily quiet, almost like a mausoleum. Yes, a mausoleum it was, a graveyard of a lost family and soon a lost kingdom. Because Leda was certain that Sparta would not remain as it once has been much longer. The glory and power of her homeland was slowly dying. Dying with their sons and all the other youths who had been killed in action during the last war. Dying with the crop and the life stock. Dying with people migrating north to get away from the drought.

And with Tyndareus gone -even if it was just up to the temple hill - the palace would feel even more empty, with just the mute, stone-faced guards and the shadow-like servants. Servants who served her like automatons but who had no will of their own it seemed. No laughter, no songs, hardly any voices. People who never spoke until spoken to, thus they could almost be a child's imaginary friends.

No, Leda would not go into the palace. She started walking down the graveled path into the royal garden. She strolled in the shadows of the high elms and cedars, passed the open field where the grass was now brown and dead. Passed the little pond with the statues of Apollo and the muses. There used to be water in the pond, and an artificial waterfall pouring down on both sides of the god with the lyre. But since water was so rare these days even the royal garden had to stop spending it.

But there was still water in the artificial lake down at the end of the large park. Leda saw it glittering beckoning in the sun. She saw brown ducks swimming in the water, quacking away like they had no worries in the world. She saw the white swans a bit away. One of the swans had just set his eyes on his chosen mate and began to chase her across the opposite beach. The female swan played hard-to-get a little while but she couldn't resist the male's courtship for so much longer and soon she caved in and let him have his way.  
"You don't know how lucky you are, Leda whispered to the swan. You don't know how lucky you are who don't have to worry about droughts, merciless gods and a dying nation. And who most of all have a man who still can get it up.

Leda had just planned to sit down in the grass for a while, perhaps cooling her feet in the water, but soon she found herself longing for a bath.  
"No one comes here any way these days. No one but the swans. I might as well…"

With a giggle, her first in ages it felt, she began to undress, tying off her belt, stripping off her elegant peplos and kicking off the sandals. Her under-garments went the same way. And as soon as she was naked she dived into the cold water, the shock almost making her crying out loud.

She swam a few bodies-lengths out in the water and then she turned. It was at that moment she saw him!

O=O=O

"Hear me great Zeus," Tyndareus kneeled in front of the statue of the bearded god with the golden thunderbolt in his right hand. The god statue was a strong and agile man; in fact he was modeled on Tyndareus' own grandfather who had been a grand man in many ways. Tyndareus was certain that he -just like the god himself "had never had a problem with pleasing a woman. That he had never felt the shame of not being able to…

No, he must not let his thought wander. He was here to perform a duty.  
"Hear me great Zeus, he called once again. Hear me, mighty one, ruler of the skies, I beseech you! Please give us of your blessed rain. Don't let my country die! Give us at least… so we can feed our little ones. I know I don't have… little ones anymore, they were taken from me. But please, for the other mother and fathers of the commons, don't let them loose their children. We have lost so much already with those wars. Please, great Zeus. Accept this libation and hear my prayer. "

As he was kneeling there alone in the temple, still feeling the smell of blood after the sacrificed bull and the burnt meat of the pyre he suddenly became to feel dizzy. His head begun to spin and there were black mists coming in front of his eyes.  
"No", he whispered. "No, what's happening… not…" Then everything went dark

O=O=O

The man had arrived on horseback; a stallion whiter than snow had stopped by the lake. The man jumped off the horse with the agile grace of someone who had seemingly done nothing than jumping on and off horses his whole life. Leda saw his large, round hoplite shield as the sun caught the motif on it. A swimming swan, in silver against the bronze of the rest of the shield. A delicate work, artistry worthy of a king. A craftsmanship not far from what Leda imagined the great god Hephaestus able of.

Shyly she backed off and in hiding of a hanging willow as the man began to strip off his own clothes too, self-assured like he had every right in the world be in hers and Tyn's royal garden! Who was he?

Well whoever he was, he sure was worth looking at, Leda had to admit to herself as his bronzed and toned body was displayed, the sun shining off bulging muscles and a lithe torso.

"Godlike", she whispered to herself. "Godlike, this Duke of the Swan or whatever he calls himself. "

As if the stranger had heard her he turned and cast a glance in the direction of the willow and Leda backed further in among the leaves. And then he too dived into the lake, a graceful jump from the same stones as Leda herself had dived in from only minutes earlier, although it suddenly felt like an eternity. Then she realized that he must have seen her clothes and figured…

While his lithe body cleaved the water surface she cursed at her own stupidity. Alone in the lake with a stranger. Was that really a position a queen of Sparta should find herself in? The next thing she noted was that the man had not yet reached the surface. The lake was completely still again, like he had never been there. Only the gracing horse and the bundle of arms and clothes in the dry grass revealed that he had ever been there, that he was not an illusion her hot brain had created after the last weeks of strain.

But where was he then? Had he - drowned? That man had seemed like anything but someone who drowns in a harmless garden pond. On the other hand he might have hit his head against a stone at the bottom and… Leda suddenly felt as if her heart was squeezed between cold hands, a feeling of fear and loss in spite of not having an idea about who the 'Duke of the Swan' was. Her eyes grew wider with fear as she gripped one sticky branch of the willow. What could have happened to that man?

O=O=O

When the black smoke faded from Tyndareus' eyes and the nausea died down he found that he was standing up. And that he was suddenly and somehow transported to a desolate landscape with overcast skies and where an unruly ocean crashed her waves against dark and wet rocks. The next thing he noted was that he was not alone. He turned; slightly behind him was a hooded stranger in a dark leather coat who stood more than two heads taller than Tyndareus himself.

The king was not short so this must be a giant of a man. Then there was something about his erect stance that made Tyndareus certain that this was nothing less than another king.  
"Sire?" the Spartan royalty asked.

In reply the stranger folded back his hood and suddenly the sun seemed to shine off golden locks falling down over broad shoulders. A strong, handsome face with an elegantly cropped beard and intelligence and wisdom shining in lapis coloured eyes.  
"I will be brief", the tall mans mellow and dark voice replied. "You wanted rain. And you will have it."

Then it finally dawned on king Tyndareus.  
"Great Zeus?!"  
"That happens to be me, yes. I will give you rain not because of the bull, nothing new about white bulls in my world to be honest. But you will have rain because you showed how dearly you care about your subjects. About their children. And I hate to see children suffer. So I will show you the same mercy."

"Thank you my lord!"  
"But there is something else grating at your nerves, I can tell by your eyes. "  
"Oh, that's…"  
"Speak, Spartan, this is your chance," Zeus urged.

"My sons are dead, the king told. And I can't give my queen a new heir instead of my lost little ones. In fact I can give her nothing of what a man should give a wife. I doubt you are aware of how that must feel. To be less than half a man in spite of being a king. "

Zeus nodded.  
"That I cannot help you with. That's another deity's doing. The goddess Aphrodite. You spurned her once. I can try to reason with her but I can do nothing more."  
"Please, my lord. If just for one night! If just for the chance of an heir. So that the royal line of Sparta can go on."  
"The Spartan royal line," Zeus said and suddenly seemed lost in thoughts, his blue eyes gazing out over the gray, heaving waters. I seem to remember that it runs on the queens' side.  
"Yes, I was nothing but an import really, a son in law to the old king. Still I became more or less his own son as time went by, and today I hardly think of it than…"

"King Tyndareus," Zeus cut him off. "You will have your heir as well. It's been nice talking to you. Now have a good day." The divine lord nodded his head and then reality wavered once again around the Spartan and the next thing he knew it he was back on the floor in the temple of the King of the Gods, running feet approaching him.

"My king, my king are you all right?"  
"It is raining!"  
"Come see for yourself!"

Tyndareus rose fast to avoid being humiliated by having someone helping him up. Then he ran down to the entrance of the temple. And sure, thunder was rolling and a heavy rain was falling, turning the dry Acropolis lawns into mud. As the lightings chased each other across the skies Tyndareus heard a dark voice mingling with the thunder. _I will give you rain "You will have your heir_. The divine king had stood true to his first promise. Now how about the second… Would it really…


	3. Finding a stranger

**Finding a stranger**

Leda was staring at the point where the stranger had disappeared, wondering what to do. Should she run for help? No, it would be too late anyway; the man would be dead before any help could arrive. Should she try to find him herself? She had to admit that she wasn't the best swimmer in the world, that was not a skill needed of a queen. And besides she couldn't dive in fresh water because it hurt her nose and eyes. Hesitant she kept on cradling that tiny willow stick when she suddenly heard a soft splash behind her.

"Probably just one of those swans" she turned - and looked straight into the sky-blue orbs of the stranger. He had swam and dived up behind her! When she gasped for breath he laid a finger upon his full lips.  
"Hush! I'm not going to hurt you. "  
"What? Who…"  
"I have a message from your husband. He's going to be away for a little while longer than he thought. He sent me to look after you."

"Who… You're a friend of Tyn… Of the king?" The stranger nodded.  
"Come on, let's return to the palace. A change in the weather is on its way."  
"What? You mean it's going to rain?"  
"Yeah, come on now, milady!"  
"Eh… I'm naked."  
"Then we're even, because so am I. So let's make a deal. You promise not to look at me and I promise not to look at you!" The strangers gray eyes glittered mischievously and Leda couldn't help giggling.

"You know what?" she heard herself saying. "I'm not that attractive to look at. I mean the only man who has seen me naked recently is my husband and he… well, let's just say I don't exactly turn him on."  
"Well, that's a pity", the stranger pouted mockingly. "What are we going to do about that?"  
"There's nothing really…"  
"I mean you could raise a god if you wanted to. "

Oddly enough those words made Leda giggle even more; laughingly she threw back her head.  
"The gods get turned on easily," she smiled. "At least that's what they say!"  
"Who says?"  
"Well, people, Leda shrugged. "  
"And you believe them?"  
"Perhaps."

"So if a god came along here, you'd expect him to be turned on? Like that horny old Swan over there?" The man nodded in the direction of the other shore where the swan couple was doing it again.  
"I don't know, I just… I mean, look at us! Here we're standing naked in the pond, in the shade of a weeping willow discussing swans, me, the queen of Sparta and you… well, I don't even know who you are, you say you're a friend of my husband. And he has gone off to the temple of Zeus to pray for rain. A god seeing us would just be fit with laughter I guess. Hey "wait! You just said it's going to rain! How do you know that?"

The mad nodded to the sky, and suddenly Leda could see that the southern half was covered in dark, indigo clouds. The deep bass of rumbling thunder could be heard in the distance.  
"You're right". Leda felt the blood leave her face and again she felt like she was starting to shiver. "But…"  
"Come, let's get up. A possible god might laugh even more if we get caught here in the thunderstorm. And with our clothes getting wet up there in the grass! "

O=O=O

Leda and the stranger reached the shore and started to dress hurriedly, and not a second too late. Large droplets of rain started to fall from the sky.  
"We won't make it to the palace in time, not even with the horse. We'll get soaked, mister!"  
"Oh, no worry, I spotted a neat little gazebo on the way here. It might get in handy. Come, milady."

The man helped Leda up on the horse and jumped up behind her, and then they galloped away to the little marble gazebo sitting at little hill just to the left. Leda realized she had almost forgotten it was there. It had been quite some time since she had been this far down in the garden. And she also noted that she felt strangely affected by the man's warm chest against her back.

When they got inside the gazebo the rain started to fall even harder and flashed of lightning were crossing the sky like blades of fighting warriors. Leda shivered, but the stranger held her close, warmed her. And oddly enough she didn't back off an inch when he took her cheek in his hand and gently started to kiss her. When his large, warm hand slid behind her back and undid the hooks in her dress she didn't hesitate a second, instead she kissed him back with passions she never knew she had inside of her.

Soon they were naked once more; soon they were making love on the floor in the gazebo while the wild weather was raging outside. And Leda realized she had missed this so much. It had been so long since she had had love like this. If ever in fact! This was nothing like the rushed, almost routine-likes sessions she had had with Tyndareus before he lost the ability to perform. This was passionate, hot, slow and fast at the same time, gentle and rough at the same time. This was like "this was divine. This was like she could have imagined the gods on Olympos making love.

When she came the last time, when she gasped for breath before he released himself inside of her, Leda suddenly realized that it had almost stopped raining, and that the thunder had become distant again. Only a slow drizzle was falling outside the gazebo, wet water whispering softly against the leaves and the grass and the graveled paths. Thousands of little voices talking in a language only gods could understand.

She fell forward and in a moment she was resting her cheek against his broad, lithe chest, his hands around the small of her back. She could hear his heartbeat, a steady, deep rhythm.  
"And I don't even know your name."  
"I think you do if you take a guess. "  
"I… When I saw you first you were carrying that large shield. The one with the Swan upon. So I guessed you was called "Duke of the Swan" or something."

He chuckled.  
"That would be a good name. That swan performed well down by the pond. But no, second guess! "  
"I… I'm sorry; my husband never said anything about us receiving a visitor. So how should I know? "  
"Nah, perhaps not, because he was visiting me, not the other way around. "  
"When?"  
"Just before I came here."

"You mean… The temple?" Leda sat up fast. " You're… Zeus?"  
"I am. "  
"Not kidding, right?"  
"Nope". He took her hands in his.  
"But why would you?

"For the sake of mutual pleasure. You've missed it and I simply enjoyed it."  
"So now what?"  
"Whatever milady desires," Zeus smiled.  
"What if my husband finds out… "  
"Do you want him to?"

"He would be mad at me!"  
"For lying together with a god? He should be mad at himself for not treating you better, honey. "  
"But I… He's my husband. He went to your temple to ask for rain."  
"And he asked me for one thing more. "  
"What? Not sleeping with his queen I take it." Leda wrinkled her brow.

"He asked me for an heir to the throne of Sparta. I decided to give him that too. "  
"Oh you…" suddenly Leda started to laugh, looking at Zeus' smiling eyes in the shade of the gazebo. "You're a smart one aren't you? Sure know how to get your way. So what about your queen? Is she going to get mad at me?"  
"I'll handle that, sweetie. Don't worry. I've learned a few things since the troubles with Heracles. "  
"You promise?"  
"Just relax nothing to worry about." Gently he stroke her cheek. "All will be fine, Leda, all will be fine."

Zeus sat up and once more he pulled her close to himself and for a while they rested like that before they both rose and started to dress. Now reality began to catch up with Leda and she felt her cheeks blush, as she clumsily got dressed.  
"Let me help you with that!" Zeus fastened the hooks in her peplo again, and then he kissed her one last time.  
"Good bye, sweetheart?"  
"Do I see you again? "  
"Perhaps. If you want to. "

Then he jumped up on that snow white horse and before Leda could draw breath once again he was gone. And she felt herself wonder "had he even been here? Or had it just been a dream.

The clouds parted and the sun came through, shining in the puddles of water. And along the path up to the palace, the queen of Sparta was walking with slow, pondering steps, not looking back at a white gazebo where she had made love to a god.


End file.
